The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers will conclude their three-game set on Thursday afternoon. Detroit enters this series finale with the division lead but has shown cracks in recent games, while Cleveland is surging and looking to make up ground for a playoff berth. Detroit is favored with their ace on the mound in this contest and the red-hot Guardians will look to upset them again. Continue reading to get my Guardians vs Tigers prediction for this contest.
Our Guardians vs Tigers Pick
- Pick: Guardians +1.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Cleveland Guardians @ Detroit Tigers
- Date & Time: Thursday, September 18, 2025, 1:10 PM ET
- Starting Pitchers: Tanner Bibee vs Tarik Skubal
- Stadium: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
- Broadcast: MLB.tv
Key Storylines
Pitching matchup
Tarik Skubal has been one of the best starters in the league this season. He is among the league leaders in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts in 2025. His dominance at home often gives Detroit a major advantage over its opponents. He does have recent concerns regarding left-side tightness that forced him from his last outing. If he is healthy and sharp, he has the stuff to shut down Cleveland’s lineup.
Tanner Bibee will get the start for the Guardians in this game. Bibee is 10-11 with a 4.44 ERA so far this seeason. He is coming off a complete game shutout against the Chicago White Sox. Here, Bibee will look to perform well again in this contest, albeit against a much tougher opponent in the Tigers.
Recent team streaks
- Cleveland has won six games in a row and they have moved to within 2.5 games of the final AL Wild Card spot and 4.5 games of the lead in the AL Central.
- Detroit has lost two games in a row and four of their last five outings.
Best Player Props
| Prop Type | Player | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Strikeouts | Tarik Skubal | Over 7.5 |
| Strikeouts | Tanner Bibee | Over 5.5 |
| Home Runs | Riley Greene | Over 0.5 |
| Total Bases | Jose Ramirez | Over 1.5 |
Betting Trends & H2H
- Cleveland holds a 5-4 advantage in their season series against the Tigers this year.
- Road teams have won five straight games between these teams.
- Detroit is 29-19 against division opponents this season.
- Cleveland is 30-14 against teams from the AL Central.
Guardians vs Tigers Model Projection
Score Projection: Tigers 3 – Guardians 2
Win Probability: Detroit 68%, Cleveland 32%
Final Thoughts
I’m not sure that the Guardians can overcome facing a pitcher as good as Tarik Skubal here. Even with the Guardians playing well lately, Skubal is going to make Cleveland earn everything they get offensively in this matinee matchup. But I think that Cleveland will keep this game very close throughout. This should be a low-scoring game and the Guardians will cover the runline as an underdog. Bettors may also want to consider betting the under here, as both pitchers are in form and we should get a pitcher’s duel on Thursday afternoon.
